U.S. Coin Grading. 1855-O Half

In my opinion TPG's seem to be harder on USA coins compared to world coins. I came across one I really liked and for the minute amount it cost I decided to get it. What's the likelihood the scratch wont body bag it?

 

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I don't think it will grade problem free. The surfaces look wrong to me, and there are areas that look like something scratchy happened.
Wait for more knowledgable opinions than mine.

 

From the photos looks very harshly cleaned. I doubt it would be a clean grade as well, for a few reasons.

Pretty coin for a display or something.

 

I like the coin, but I do believe the reverse fields have been altered. I am afraid sending to a TPG may be a disappointing experience.

 

+1

 

Details for sure.

Also, NGC is very conservative with world coin grading.

 

The somewhat heavy scratches on the obverse (at K8, K10 and K2) would put the coin on the bubble if that was the only thing on a coin with otherwise original surfaces. However, this coin has been rather harshly cleaned with the evidence showing on both obverse and reverse. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I have a 1844 half that I got cheap that is also the recipient of a prior owner's tender attentions.

 

While the reverse looks nicer, it appears unnatural.
Scratches are evident on the obverse, probably an old scrubbing which was common. It's a nice coin but it may come back XF details.

 

thanks guys I appreciate it. It was not expensive at all and I still think its a beautiful coin, possibly for a display set.

 

Without the scratches and HARSH cleaning the coin would be
worth around $150-$165. In this condition it is a $20 coin.

 

I will buy all you have for twice that. No joke.

But I doubt you have any

 

100%. The graders will be more focused on the hundreds of scratches visible in the right obverse field, field above the eagle, and assumedly everywhere else that will bodybag it.

XF-45/AU-50 details

 

Initially I was at XF/AU details but I changed to XF because the cleaning on the obverse is making an XF coin appear to be AU but it isn't. The reverse is closer to AU than the obverse.
As for the value I would be closer to $50 than $20.

 

Yes, as of now, $20 won’t buy you much of anything for Seated Liberty half dollar.

 

Unless it's a R-5 or better or just a super damaged coin, I automatically price a 19th century coin that has the "normal" amount of cleaning at about 40 to 50% of Greysheet. I go up or down from there depending on a bunch of factors. For example: I was looking at a 1793 half cent in slabbed AU-Details in the Heritage FUN auction. I put in a fantasy bid of $7500 because it really was a nice coin but I didn't hold out any hope of winning it. It hammered at about $14K without the 20% BP.

So, the OP's 1855 arrows in XF45 has a Greysheet bid of $225. In its cleaned state, it is maybe a $50 to $100 coin if and when you can find a buyer. And that is always the rub with a details coin. For most people, it really needs to be something that is hard to find or a specialty item to justify buying a details coin.

This is a topic for which everyone has their unique opinion, I am sure, and every single one of them is valid.

 

I received the coin today and I will say pictures can make a coin look differently then it does in hand when people screw with lighting and many things. I find this coin quite beautiful when its a natural photo. Some times when sellers mess with lighting it can hurt their sales and also make things nicer than they are. this one was the opposite. Do you think the pictures caused different opinions for this coin.

 

Still altered surfaces and 100% chance of a bodybag if submitted. Nice amount of detail left though and no glaring damage beyond the obvious harsh cleaning so it would work for an album, but wise to avoid this look in the future as tough to resell.

 

thanks for the input. I figured on the cleaned but not altered surfaces. I will be returning it. The guy I buy from has no problem with returns.

 

The difference between “cleaning” and “altered surfaces” is that cleaning is removing material to “improve” the appearance of the coin, whereas “altered surfaces” refers to treating the surface (usually with a chemical) to change its appearance. Depending on the harshness of the cleaning, it may actually be more desirable to have a coin with altered surfaces.

This coin has simply been harshly cleaned.

https://www.pcgs.com/grades

 

Correct, I was using the phrase altered surface literally to say it was messed with but good on you to point out the difference of getting that spelled out as a details slab grade which indicates a different story.

Nice. I am not opposed to details coins- in fact one of my biggest numismatic regrets is buying and immediately selling a 1794 cent at a show last year. It was in an environmental damage slab but it was a fantastic coin and very borderline... I figured I would take the cash and find one I liked in a straight holder but that hasn’t been the case and it was a great buy for what I paid.

Here’s a pretty seated coin I got for $30 and it sold for $100... “AU Details Surfaces Smoothed” Definitely some nice ones out there.